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PLEASE NOTE A NEW 4TH EDITION HAS BEEN PUBLISHED AND IS AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY AND IN PRINT
Keratinization is the process by which epithelial cells in the skin differentiate progressively from basal cells attached to the basement membrane into fully keratinized cells that are exfoliated from the skin surface. Keratinization is a complex process that is genetically programmed and regulated by the interactions of a myriad of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Cornification of the skin also involves the formation of a lipid-rich intercellular matrix that serves as a mortar between the stacks of anucleate, flattened keratinocytes in the stratum corneum. This lipid matrix serves as a permeability barrier for the skin, regulates desquamation and has antimicrobial activity. The chapter looks at: Differential diagnosis; Clinical approach; and Treatment.
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